We’re big fans of Squarespace (clearly, considering we use it for our own business). It’s a sleek and intuitive platform that we regularly recommend to service-based businesses. However, when it comes to selling products, Shopify is almost always our go-to recommendation. So, why would a business consider making the switch? Let’s explore the key reasons and opportunities that come with moving your e-commerce site from Squarespace to Shopify.

1. Future-Proofing Your Business

While Squarespace excels at beautiful designs and ease of use, it wasn’t built with e-commerce as its primary focus. For growing product-based businesses, Shopify offers a stable, scalable platform that’s designed to handle the complexities of online sales.

• Why it matters: With Shopify, you’re investing in a platform with long-term development, ensuring you won’t face the obsolescence issues reported with Squarespace’s older versions (like 7.0)​.

• The takeaway: Shopify positions your business for stability and growth, making it ideal for brands that want to scale.

2. E-Commerce Excellence

Shopify was created specifically for selling products online, and it shows in its robust features:

• Advanced shipping tools: Shopify supports dynamic shipping calculators, local pickup options, and real-time tracking, improving your customer experience.

• Integrated inventory management: Easily track stock levels, manage product variants, and plan for restocks without a headache.

If you’re selling physical goods, Shopify’s built-in tools simplify your operations and improve the shopping experience from start to finish.

3. SEO and Marketing Power

One of Shopify’s standout advantages is its superior marketing and SEO capabilities. With Shopify, you can:

• Optimise your website’s architecture to improve search rankings.

• Seamlessly integrate with tools like Klaviyo for email marketing or Facebook and Instagram for paid advertising campaigns.

• Access detailed analytics to track customer behaviour, campaign performance, and sales trends—all essential for data-driven marketing.

Squarespace does offer some great marketing tools, but Shopify’s focus on product-based businesses gives it the edge for e-commerce.

4. Smooth Integrations with Meta and Google Shopping

If you’re running ads on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) or Google Shopping, Shopify’s integrations are a game-changer.

• Streamlined ad setup: Shopify simplifies connecting your product catalogue to Meta and Google Shopping, making it easier to build ads that dynamically display your products.

• Effortless updates: When you update products, pricing, or availability in Shopify, these changes are automatically reflected in your ad campaigns, saving time and reducing errors.

• Advanced targeting: Shopify’s integrations enable you to retarget visitors, create lookalike audiences, and optimise ad performance, all without complicated workarounds.

Squarespace can manage some integrations, but Shopify’s seamless compatibility with these ad platforms ensures your campaigns are efficient and effective from day one.

At the end of the day, choosing the right platform depends on the nature of your business. For service-based businesses or simple portfolios, Squarespace remains a brilliant option. But if you’re selling products and ready to grow, Shopify is the gold standard for e-commerce.

Ready to make the move? Let’s chat about how to transition your business to Shopify and create a website that works as hard as you do.